1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of animals restraints and, more particularly, to the field of devices useful in restraining or maintaining control of animals while leashed or harnessed.
2. Description of the Related Art
One of the prime characteristics of human society is the ability to domesticate animals, and domestication requires the exercise of some sort of control over the animal. With respect to most commonly domesticated animals, such as household pets, that control often takes the form of a leash or restraint to guide or restrain the animal.
As used herein, the term “restraint” is intended to include any device useful to control an animal from a short distance, such as a leash (retractable or fixed), harness, collar or other device. As also used herein, the term “leash” may be used interchangeably with “restraint” for ease of reference. Restraints may be made of any suitable material, which means that the material should be durable, not susceptible to breaking or wearing. Suitable materials include nylon, leather, rope, cord, other plastics, metal chains and other similar materials.
Pet owners, particularly pet owners in urban or suburban settings, need to ensure that they are able to control their pets at all times when out of the house or other enclosed area (such as a yard or barn), and so nearly always use a leash of some sort. According to current conventions, leashes are nylon ribbons having a handle, such as a loop in the ribbon, on one end and some means for securing the animal on the other. The means for securing the animal may take many forms.
In its most basic form, the means for securing the animal may be a simple collar worn about the animal's neck. The neck is usually chosen as it is the narrowest portion of the anatomy of most relevant animals, thereby providing the location on the animal from which escape is least likely.
Conventional animal collars are also made of a nylon ribbon, with a releasable clasp, made up of two mating pieces on the opposite ends of the ribbon. The two mating pieces are used to secure the collar in place. Collars generally include some means for adjusting the length of the collar to fit securely, but not too tightly, to the animal's neck. Finally, conventional collars generally include a metal ring at or near one of the two mating ends. The ring is used for attachment of the restraint, and/or securing of other items, such as licenses, rabies tags and the like to the animal.
Attachment of the leash to a simple collar on the animal's neck is not always a completely satisfactory solution to the securing of the leash, because animals, especially active dogs, can slip out of their collars. This is a danger because most owners, correctly, do not place the collar on the animal very tightly, so that the animal can breathe comfortably. An active animal, such as a playful dog, can often slip out of the collar if it is loose, and the animal tugs opposite to the direction of the owner holding the handle of the leash.
Having an animal slip its leash can be very dangerous. If the animal is just being playful, it could still bolt from the owner and run out into traffic. A vicious dog that slips its leash can be quite problematic for different reasons.
Even if the animal does not slip its collar, it is still possible for the collar securing mechanism to fail, such as simply pulling open or breaking. No matter the reason, the result is the same, and equally undesirable.
There have been efforts made to provide more secure restraints, such as metal chain “choke” collars and body harnesses. So-called “choke” collars are loose collars, usually made of chain link, that comprise a length of chain links having loops at the opposed ends thereof. In use, the body of the chain is slipped through one of the loops and pulled, so that the two loops come into contact, forming a loop of chain with an opening in the middle. The leash is attached to the free end of the choke collar. The opening is then slipped over the animal's head and the leash is pulled to draw the free end of the chain, closing the opening about the neck of the animal. This provides a secure hold when the leash is pulled, but many feel it is cruel to use this device routinely, because it tends to restrict the animal's breathing.
A harness is a device usually attached about the animal's body. A standard body harness has a belt which goes about the animal's midsection, and straps which form loops for the animal's forelegs. The various straps are adjustable to fit the animal's dimensions, but the various straps are usually secured by the same sort of clasps as described above, and suffer from the same failings, including the possibility that an active animal may slip even from a harness.
There are thus problems with known systems for securing animals when outside, and there is a need to provide some means for securing animals who might slip their restraint.
It will be understood that this need is especially keenly felt by those who care for dogs professionally, such as dog walkers or trainers, who might have several animals on leashed simultaneously, exponentially increasing the risk of slipping a leash as well as inhibiting the ability of the professional to react immediately to the slippage due to the need to care for the “un-slipped” animals.